Any ThinkPad Edge 14 Owners Here?

I know purist don't consider it as a real ThinkPad, but I think it's pretty decent. I also read reviews about it but I'd like to hear from owners their impressions about this laptop, especially after using it for a relatively longer period of time..

Thanks everyone!

 

I think the Edge, SL or L series are fine for what they are, but they're not a ThinkPad in the tradition sense. Why dilute the brand is what I would ask?

 

L seems like it belongs to me - it's what the R was before they made the R so good that there was almost no distinction between R and T.

 

The R definitely yinged and yanged quality wise over the years.

 

To me it's all about reaching a wider audience. I know plenty of people who won't even consider buying a "traditional" Thinkpad just because they look dull and unattractive. By dressing the Edge up, you may get people who never would've thought about the Thinkpad line a second thought about buying it. I'll admit that I have slandered this laptop for being in my mind sub-par. I did see a video that showed that the Edge goes through all the same tests that all Thinkpads go through before they are released for sale. Heck, there are people who still hate the change from IBM to Lenovo.

Anyways, OP: From what I've heard the 13 and 14 inch Edge models are fairly nice. The only real negative feedback I've seen is the 15 inch. It has a ton of flex and the review by this site said it wasn't of Thinkpad quality.

 

@AboutThreeFitty: Thanks for the nice feedback. Yeah, I like the Edge 14. I wish some owners would post their impressions here...

 

Hi, I own Thinkpad Edge 14 and so far I like it quite a bit.
Having said that, here are some drawbacks for you:
- somewhat bulky and unattractive compared to competition and even to other Lenovo products. Prior to my purchase of Edge 14 I owned an IdeaPad Y430 and loved it to death (if it wasn't for overheating, I would've kept it). Y430 had a MUCH sleeker design. Oh, and the built quality of Edge 14 is nothing to write home about.
- scrolling on the Edge 14 trackpad is a nightmare. The problem is, the bar that you have to slide you finger up & down on is not located where you would expect it to be - the touch-sensitive vertical area is about 1/2 inches to the left from the right side of the trackpad. So you can't put your finger against the right edge of the trackpad and expect it to work, you have to hit exactly the right spot. Also, the functional trackpad buttons are too close to the bottom edge of the notebook (my thumb feels uncomfortable).
- battery doesn't last very long. 2-2.5 hours is what I usually get out of the usual multitasking.
- below-average quality of built-in speakers. They are simply no good for anyone who wants a reasonably good sound. While we are talking about the sound, let's also mention that Edge 14 doesn't have a mic-in connector (you can't use your own, you are restricted to using the built-in crappy mic.)
- the external surface of the lid is too glossy and is a fingerprint magnet.

Now the good aspects:
- Core i3 CPU. It rocks. I use Photoshop heavily and it performs noticeably faster on i3 (compared even to Core 2 Duo).
- Keyboard. Don't even get me started on the positives of that keyboard. It's a pleasure to type on and it's wonderful to look at as well.
- Lots of various ports.
- Doesn't seem to get too hot, but that (as I know from owning a Lenovo notebook in the past) is just a matter of time. Wait for several month and you will notice a significant increase in operational temperature. I guess this applies to all PC makers who use Sanyo batteries.

 

as the name 'Edge' implies, this is a bridging product between the Thinkpad Classic and something like Ideapad.

 

Do you know how many cells your battery has? I know the office depot thinkpad edge's have only 4 cells.

I'm also looking for more battery impressions from others. I'm about to order and am trying to decided between 6 cell and 9 cell battery.

Review's I've read have wildly different experiences with battery life. Anywhere between 2-5.5 hours per charge on typical web surfing use.

 

Yep, I bought mine at OfficeDepot and it has a 4-cell option. If you're looking for a good battery life, keep looking because even with 6-cell battery this laptop is not energy efficient at all. I've had it for over a month and I'm not really impressed. Get an IdeaPad U450p, for example (10hrs), or anything else with ULV processor (SU7300, SU9400). Look here http://outlet.lenovo.com/laptops/ideapad/u-series.html

 

I bought an Edge 14 with a 9 cell battery and get 4-6 hours for that sort of use depending on screen brightness setting (6 hours at about 65% brightness). This is with Ubuntu 10.10, I guess Windows 7 might do better.

It's not the best battery life, but it has a Core i3 and I'm happy. Would probably be unhappy without the 9 cell.

 

I own an Edge 15, just arrived today. I believe it is the same thing with 14 in many aspects, the screen in particular, they have exactly the same screen.

The screen is horrible for a business class laptop. I ordered the matte one. It has very low contrast ratio and texts on the screen are not crisp and not very clear, black on that screen is more like grey.

My four year old T60 (1680X1050) is still running today and its screen is so much better in every single aspect.

Edge really should not be called a thinkpad, it is a total rip off. The build quality is average, overall casing is plastic and the heat sink is aluminium or iron. The touch pad is jerky, inconsistent at its best.

The screen is horrible. Really horrible.

If anyone know anyway I could swap the LCD unit with a better one, please let me know. Thanks so much. The vendor refuse to upgrade the screen in any circumstances.